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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23118103">A Mysterious New Roommate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/solomivan/pseuds/solomivan'>solomivan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lives of Carmilla Karnstein [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carmilla (Web Series), Doctor Who</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Doctor Who Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Don't copy to another site, Gen, POV Third Person Limited, POV Third Person Plural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 05:42:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23118103</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/solomivan/pseuds/solomivan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Betty tries to solve the secret of her new roommate, while the latter meets her friends.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lives of Carmilla Karnstein [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Mysterious New Roommate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A/N All characters and worlds owned by their creators, and I do not claim any ownership over them.<br/> <br/>Silas University is in London in this work.</p><p>Zombie fungi exposure is mentioned.</p><p>I'm very grateful to my beta <ins><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuchi">kuchi</a></ins></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="western">Betty finished the restoration of the last costume for the coming premiere of the stage play <em>Antigone</em>. She sighed with relief. Her first day of the new term was intense: she studied, then helped people who wanted to participate in an audition for the aforementioned performance. After that, Betty checked the clothes, being a costumier.</p><p class="western">Betty went to the corridor and looked at clocks on the wall. She noticed she had overworked for thirty minutes. That was the reason why the theatre was empty.</p><p class="western">Betty returned to her dormitory room, number 307. There was no trace of Laura Hollis, her friend and roommate. Betty decided to wait until the morning. Maybe there would be a reasonable explanation for this situation. She thought to make a call, but she didn't know to whom. </p><p class="western">Instead, she started to do her homework: a draft of a landscape for Art, and a 500-word essay about Richard III for History.</p><p class="western">When she finished these tasks, she started recording her vlog for Journalism, one of her elective courses. The door opened, so Betty turned around to see the visitor.</p><p class="western">It was a dark-haired girl wearing a backpack. She was in blue jeans and a black leather jacket under which she wore a white t-shirt with a picture of the black panther Bagheera from Mowgli. When she came closer, Betty recognised her as one of the girls who had tried for the role of Eurydice earlier. Betty recalled her name: Carmilla Karnstein.</p><p class="western">"Excuse me! Carmilla, what are you doing here?" Betty asked her loudly.</p><p class="western">"I'm your new roommate, sweetheart," replied Carmilla with a smile.</p><p class="western">"That’s not funny at all. I'm not your sweetheart, and I already have a roommate, Laura Hollis, who has been missed."</p><p class="western">"Cupcake, I'll be here instead of her. I know you were tired after such a  hard first day of the term. Nevertheless, I'm surprised you don't remember that Laura graduated with first-class honours this summer."</p><p class="western">Betty didn't say a word, embarrassed. Because of all the hassle, she had forgotten that fact. She used to see Laura at the university.</p><p class="western">Betty watched how Carmilla unpacked her things on the bed: clothes, several fiction and non-fiction books, learning materials, a notebook and mobile phone with chargers for them, a wireless mouse, various bathroom accessories, a toothpaste, a toothbrush, and two posters: one with Laura's favourite band, <em>John Smith and the Common Men </em>and another with the singer Crystal, known among fans as "Crys".</p><p class="western">Betty noticed that one T-shirt was the same as Laura's: a white background with a golden hourglass within several rings of the same shade on a necklace. Under this picture of the Time-Turner from <em>Harry Potter</em> were big black words: CHEAP AND NASTY TIME TRAVEL.</p><p class="western">Carmilla told Betty that it was a gift from Laura for Carmilla's birthday. "We are old good friends, though we rarely see each other. The last time was before she started studying here. So, I assume this is the reason she probably never mentioned me to you." Carmilla continued, "Betty, I'm glad for your help with my audition. Maybe now we can talk a little. Like 'where are you from?', 'what are you studying?'"</p><p class="western">"Regarding your first question. I'm from the north of Austria. My friend studied here. He advised me to apply to this university. Carmilla, I assume you are from the same region due to your accent, although it’s weak."</p><p class="western">"Yes, I always try to speak classical English without any accent for better understanding. It was Laura who suggested this place to me. She talked highly of it," replied Carmilla.</p><p class="western">"The second question. I'm a third-year Major of Arts, so it's Theory and Practice of Art, History of Art, History, English and Literature, Digital Drawings, Animation, PE, elective courses of Journalism and Survival During the Apocalypse. What about your preferences?"</p><p class="western">"I'm a History Major, so I have some classes in common with you. History and History of Art, then PE, English and Literature," listed Carmilla. "My other classes are the following: Philosophy, Math, Foreign Language which in my case is Ancient Sumerian. I chose Architecture, Holistics, and Chemistry as elective courses."</p><p class="western">"I hope you'll like it here. It's late, so I'm planning to go to bed. Do you have homework?" </p><p class="western">"No, It was my first day, so no tasks for me. I want to sleep as well."</p><p class="western">*</p><p class="western">Days in the university became weeks. Betty occasionally noticed some strange things related to Carmilla. She decided to write them down and later ask the local conspiracy theorist Clive Finch, who called himself an "unofficial truth speaker".</p><p class="western">• <em>Sometimes Carmilla knew the material before it was told to the students, and better than a teacher. </em></p><p class="western">• <em>Carmilla's History textbook was full of comments on margins like "Ugh. Really?" or "It's utter bollocks". Despite this, she frequently discussed various historical events with History teacher Miss Cochrane.</em></p><p class="western">•<em>Betty heard Carmilla occasionally slip to the first name addressing that professor and spoke about those events like they happened recently not centuries ago.</em></p><p class="western">• <em>Carmilla had super strength. One time she recklessly rolled a one pound coin into a ball, when she watched a reboot of Professor X.</em></p><p class="western">• <em>Carmilla could hold her breath for 15 seconds longer than expected.</em></p><p class="western">• <em>She possessed night vision. Betty witnessed how Carmilla easily moved through the dormitory after a power outage at night.</em></p><p class="western">• <em>Carmilla was able to tell  the precise time to the second without clocks and watches. She explained to Betty she had "an inner chronometer" since her childhood.</em></p><p class="western">• <em>Her body healed much quicker than the average human: a scratch completely gone in two minutes, and a bruise vanished without a trace within twenty minutes.</em></p><p class="western">• <em>Several times, Carmilla used old-fashioned and even outdated English and foreign expressions in her speech.</em></p><p class="western">• <em>She fluently spoke multiple languages, more than two dozen. During Skype conversation with her father, Carmilla used Finnish, Japanese, Russian, and three tongues unknown to Betty without problems. The video was turned off due to weak WiFi on his side.</em></p><p class="western">• <em>One night Betty heard how Carmilla being half-asleep answered someone from her dream: "I don't care how many children were on Gallifrey." Betty tried to search this word, however, all results were about Galileo.</em></p><p class="western">Betty looked at the list. "I might have imagined several moments. Anyway, it's better to speak with Clive about this topic." She went to the Student Spy Club with it. She explained at the reception that it was necessary to talk with him. Clive was in his usual place on the ground floor.</p><p class="western">Betty knocked on the door and loudly said the password: Ian Lancaster Fleming. The door opened and Betty entered the room. It had a classical look from the films: a large cork board with numerous cuts from newspapers, books with titles like "The Truth behind Lincoln's Murder", "Forbidden Knowledge about The Moon", and "The Earth Antipode is Real". The computer monitor showed a forum about UFOs and research dedicated to aliens. </p><p class="western">"Do you have a minute? I've noticed plenty of odd things about my roommate."</p><p class="western">Clive turned back and greeted Betty, "Hello. Well, as you know, anything bizarre is for me. Show me your paper." Betty gave him the sheet. He studied it and announced he had two explanations: "Either Carmilla is a supernatural creature like a werewolf or vampire, or she is an alien travelling in time. I think that Gallifrey is a name for a space location. She might have been dreaming about some sort of galactic quiz show."</p><p class="western">Betty objected, "I didn't register anyone with bites. She didn't have blood in the refrigerator and silver, iron and the full moon don't affect her. She looks completely human."</p><p class="western">"Maybe her difference is inside: the second heart, the expanded respiratory system, UV and IR eye receptors… One more thing. When I researched time travel, I found people who looked like her."</p><p class="western">"It might be just a spatial genetic similarity," noted Betty.</p><p class="western">"More than one time? It's impossible." Clive took some photos from the board.</p><p class="western">The first was taken at the beginning of the 20th century. The woman on it was similar to Carmilla except for a more complex haircut and white dress. "Young countess Mircalla von Karnstein bought her ticket to the Titanic from one passenger — Margaret Daniels — for triple the price, because she forgot her own. Then she was late for her trip searching for her baggage."</p><p class="western">The next black-and-white picture showed Carmilla in a blue knee-length dress and round sunglasses. She had a press pass that said "Amcrilla Karnstein. Journalist. SNN." Her hair was curly and reached her shoulders. Carmilla stood behind the crowd. "The day of Kennedy's assassination," commented Clive.</p><p class="western">The third material was a newspaper article. It demonstrated her in a similar outfit to the previous one. <em>The Interview with Nikita Khrushchev</em>, said the title.</p><p class="western">The last image was ancient and depicted Carmilla as a nurse helping people after a volcanic eruption. <em>1883, Krakatoa.</em></p><p class="western">"You sound convincing. But what should I do?" asked Betty.</p><p class="western">"Live as before and stop worrying about her. If she wanted to hurt you she would have already done it," responded Clive. "Anything else?"</p><p class="western">"No. Thanks for your help. I'll return to my room."</p><p class="western">Clive watched Betty leave the club through the window. He recalled how several weeks ago, during one of his investigations, he discovered that aliens were real.</p><p class="western">
</p>
<p>  <em>He couldn't believe that for once a conspiracy theory was true. He started to write a draft before sharing this information with the other forum members. He was still finishing it when he was visited by two officers in military form and two people in civilian clothes. They introduced themselves as UNIT — Unified Intelligence Taskforce — a military organisation whose remit is to save the Earth from paranormal and extraterrestrial dangers.</em></p><p class="western">
</p>
<p>  <em>One officer warned him, "Your investigation went too far. Now it may be dangerous for you and others. With all due respect, Mr Finch, you are an untrained civilian, while we are professionals who spent years successfully fighting against various threats."</em></p><p class="western">
</p>
<p>  <em>The second officer added, "You'll give us your every discovered material and then inform us about all your future cases despite their possible insignificance. Here are the phone and email address for contact. If you refuse to cooperate with us, you'll be arrested for obstruction against ensuring international security." They left the room immediately after this talk.</em></p><p class="western">Clive dialled the given number and told UNIT about what he and Betty found out. UNIT responded that there was nothing to worry about and they already have the situation under control.</p><p class="western">*</p><p class="western">Betty was walking to the dormitory when she noticed Carmilla speaking with a third-year biology student, Natalie Brown, who was a Botany Major. Carmilla noticed Betty and introduced her interlocutor as her old friend and Betty as her roommate.</p><p class="western">Betty answered, "Nice to meet you. I'm glad to speak with you but I need to do my homework." She walked to her room and came closer to the table. She registered it took five and a half steps to reach it.</p><p class="western">"That's strange. I was sure it was exactly five steps during Laura's study. I think that the space between beds was slightly narrower at that time. Well, it must be my imagination because no way the room can change its size."</p><p class="western">*</p><p class="western">
</p>
<p>  <b>Several weeks ago</b></p><p class="western">Carmilla stood near her TARDIS main console, planning the next trip. "Maybe visit Lenin again? He wanted a rematch in Tiddlywinks and to discuss his philosophical ideas. Or try to investigate the disappearance of Agatha Christie? Well, with my time machine I may do that whenever I want, but why not monitor Silas University for now? It always attracts trouble." All the required documents for the future History Major Carmilla Karnstein were created and sent to the university. </p><p class="western">Carmilla started landing after receiving a positive answer from the university. For her, it only took one minute. She disguised her TARDIS as the room where she was assigned after landing on the junkyard. A similar trick was done by her old friend, the renegade Time Lord Chronotis.</p><p class="western">Carmilla decided to check out the university. Firstly, she visited the theatre and tried the role of Eurydice for <em>Antigone</em>. She still had a memory of how she edited the draft of this play in her fourth incarnation. During that period she called herself Mary Ringwold. She had attracted the most attention not because of her Asian appearance, but due to her 5'9" height, which was above the average. </p><p class="western">Carmilla felt that something was wrong. After the audition, she quickly checked the place with her sonic screwdriver when nobody could see her, and obtained no negative results. However, the feeling of danger remained. She decided to return when the theatre was closed.</p><p class="western">The next place she visited was the Alchemical Club. As usual, its members performed dubious and hazardous experiments. Carmilla knew that many people here would die today due to contact with alien spores. She couldn't prevent it because it was a part of her timeline and therefore, a fixed event. And if it wasn't, she had no idea what she might do. Stop their venture by warning them? Her fifth incarnation — Perry — had tried that, and it was useless. Carmilla sighed and left the building.</p><p class="western">Carmilla pointed her sonic screwdriver at the Glee Club and the fraternity Zeta Omega Mu and detected nothing extraordinary. </p><p class="western">The café revealed only oil boosting the student's intelligence. Its amount in the food was within standards.</p><p class="western">The last location was Summer Society. Carmilla was stopped at the entrance. She explained that she wanted to visit her old friends, Danny and Mel. She was guided to the gym where they were fencing. To provide proper training for Mel, Danny — Carmilla's seventh incarnation — did not  restrain her inhumanly quick movements. Carmilla remembered that it was a part of Danny's plan. Danny was slowly and inconspicuously turning her loyal companion into a warrior who would be able to defeat the Elder God Hastur, also known as Fenric.</p><p class="western">After two minutes, the fight was over. Danny and Mel bowed to each other and put the weapons in their proper places. Danny greeted her future self, "Hello, Carm. It's our first meeting in my current life. Mel, this is my forthcoming incarnation - future me. You remember how I changed from 5'3" black Amy Warson in a patched multicoloured coat and yellow plaid trousers to this - 6'2", white, in a grey business suit and straw hat."</p><p class="western">"It's difficult to forget. It was so unexpected. I was disoriented from your transformation," replied Mel. "You said 'another you'? How many lives do you have?"</p><p class="western">"13. I'm the seventh, and Carmilla is the tenth. Carm, am I right that you just wanted to be sure everything is okay in Silas University?"</p><p class="western">"Yes, and reunite with old friends, as well as with my successors and predecessors. For now, I'll return to the theatre and then to my room.  Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet both of you."</p><p class="western">Carmilla left the gym. While she walked, she thought about Mel.</p><p class="western">"I'm Mel, neither Melanie or especially not Melanippe." </p><p class="western">It was the first thing she said  when they had met in alien café. Mel loved explosives, especially Nitro-9 due to its power and simplicity in creation. She was also a computer genius and a good athlete. She had edited the code of a  language she saw for the first time and created a popular computer game during their travels in 1987. Mel's enthusiasm for fitness was tedious for Amy. Fortunately for Mel, the latter regenerated into Danny and obtained a similar passion for sport.  </p><p class="western">When Mel had discovered that her whole life was a part of Danny's enormous metaphorical chess game to eradicate an ancient Eldritch abomination, she made a scene. She yelled, then took her personal belongings and abandoned the TARDIS, slamming its door. She joined the army on the planet where she was left after this scandal. A while later, when she calmed and common sense prevailed, she understood Danny had no other method to destroy Fenric - a necessary choice of the lesser evil. Besides, Mel wouldn't even exist without Danny. Mel forgave Danny and returned to her to be her companion as it was before.</p><p class="western">Carmilla was immersed in her thoughts and bumped into someone. She automatically apologized and only after that she noticed who was in her way. It was a gorgeous old black woman in a scarlet cracked leather jacket and trousers of the same shade. It was her ninth incarnation - Mattie.</p><p class="western">"Carmilla, I'm glad you are fine. Honestly, I forgot that you were here. Your meeting with Danny and Mel was the last time I saw you. I hope I'm the last one who participates in the Time War and you are no longer in it."</p><p class="western">Despite her harsh military life and constant battles, Mattie maintained courtesy and good manners from her previous incarnation, Laura Hollis.</p><p class="western">"Thank you. I hope I didn't hurt you. As for your assumption, I can confirm it. You ended this war by killing our supreme leader Rassilon, then using his DNA and biodata to open the vault with our ultimate weapon - The Moment."</p><p class="western">Mattie shrugged, "Well, nothing new. Laura destroyed Gallifrey before and cancelled the Time War to save the universe. And now I will do the same thing." She continued, "Because you have returned to your usual life, I'm interested if you found a companion for your adventures?"</p><p class="western">"Not yet, but I have a strong feeling that it will happen soon. I still don't know who it'll be: my roommate Betty, or a giant sentient female scorpion, or someone else."</p><p class="western">"Whomever you choose, it'll be a good choice. I remember from being Laura that Betty is clever, inquisitive, and sociable. She easily connected with people. I wish you good luck. Now I should go to eradicate both Daleks and Time Lords."</p><p class="western">Carmilla watched Mattie return to the empty building near the campus, where her TARDIS was parked in the form of an old wardrobe.</p><p class="western">Carmilla moved on. She suddenly noticed her second regeneration — Wilson Kirsh — with his companions: the singer Crystal, her boyfriend Jason, and a small alien Zog.</p><p class="western">She could feel that the temporal tension between her and Kirsh was increasing. She knew if she touched him, both of them would register a sharp pain, similar to a suddenly cramped limb.</p><p class="western">"Hello everyone. I'm Carmilla Karnstein, Crystal's old fan."</p><p class="western">"Hello."</p><p class="western">Kirsh explained to Crys, "She is another me. Crys, you remember, how I changed from the old man to this."</p><p class="western">Crys had a vivid memory of how her elder friend Earl collapsed inside the TARDIS after a hard victory over the cybermen. He emitted a bright light from his body and screamed during the change. Then he changed from his black Edwardian suit and papakha into beige trousers, a white T-shirt with various sea creatures, and a brown fedora. He chose his new name just by using the first version that appeared in his mind.</p><p class="western">"I guess Carmilla is definitely somewhere after the seventh incarnation because the temporal difference is too big for the fourth. She's probably the ninth." </p><p class="western">Crys asked Kirsh, "What is an incarnation?"</p><p class="western">He replied, "An incarnation is a term of my people meaning each body/self/life of a Time Lord or Time Lady. In my case: Earl Foreman, me, LaFontaine, the one with the unknown name, Perry, Amy Warson, Danny Lawrence, and the thirteenth - Сlara Oswin."</p><p class="western">"I recall how Mary Ringwold — my fourth self — hid under the console from you. Regarding your assumption, you were close yet still wrong, because I'm the tenth."</p><p class="western">"Well, nobody's perfect. It is a good horse that never stumbles."</p><p class="western">"Carm, you still haven’t explained to us the purpose of your staying here,” commented Kirsh.</p><p class="western">"I wanted to have a break before I resume my adventures through space and time."</p><p class="western">"Carm, am I right that our other selves are also here? Trouble and I are related: 'I'm where it is and vice versa'. Silas University is well known for producing it in a large amount."</p><p class="western">"Yes, Kirsh. However, I want to add that in the present moment, some of them aren't in this place yet. My other selves are teaching, studying, investigating, and doing many other various things. Sorry, it was a pleasure to talk to you, but I need to go. Something felt wrong in the theatre earlier. Goodbye."</p><p class="western">"Goodbye. See you later."</p><p class="western">Carmilla knew that this was the last meeting between her previous incarnations and her until Perry.</p><p class="western">Carmilla returned to the theatre. Nobody was here as the working day was over. She entered the building and went to the room with costumes. She checked it with her sonic screwdriver. Nothing was detected.</p><p class="western">In a moment, she heard a click. She ducked and noticed the bullet in the floor as well a mannequin moving his hand. Carmilla quickly left the room and scanned it again to determine where those autons were being controlled from. The signal was found in the direction of the London Eye. She used her sonic screwdriver to terminate their control and prevent it from happening again. </p><p class="western">Carmilla travelled to that ferris wheel using her TARDIS to discover the location of The Nestene Consciousness, who was the main puppet master of the mannequins. The sonic screwdriver revealed it was an old abandoned factory.</p><p class="western">Carmilla checked with her sonic screwdriver that no-one was inside, then went to the yard, where she couldn't be seen. She eliminated the creature by collapsing the building with her sonic screwdriver. </p><p class="western">"Well, the threat is destroyed. It's time to go to my room and see my roommate Betty again. This time, it'll be not as Laura, but as Carmilla."</p>
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